Supervision of Ethics in the Workplace - Essay Example

First, most businesses today were highly globalized, they were conducted by the use of modern gadgets. People from around the world are working together to achieve a common goal. Even though they were raised with different cultures and beliefs, their mutual interests bind them to do business together. To think about all these happenings, the role of the administration is quite hard, isn’t it? Back in the 90s, businesses conducted communication through the use of fax machines or telephones. This time, two individuals from two countries can do a conversation without any communication barriers—face-to-face. However, consequent to this are the technical, cultural, and linguistic challenges of globalization hence managers have to adjust amid these diversities.

Technically, as globalization takes its place, old business entities need to update all their gadgets to compete in the global market or take advantage of rapid technological change. If they were using telephones for conversation or fax machines in business communication as of submitting reports before, the usage of those might not so appropriate today though other business entities are still depending on the use of telephones. Most likely, most administrations nowadays are dependent on digital screens for conversations if they are not set to meet in person.

This is obvious to be more advantageous than telephone conversations. Also, written reports nowadays are rarely faxed, most often they are sent via email. Faxed information oftentimes encounters defects—unclear wordings or unclear figures; whereas if they’re sent through email, unclear wordings and unclear figures would never be a problem. Further, administrations also are now facing cultural diversity. Managers are to deal with different individuals with different perceptions and personal values. It is hard to conduct business with people who are not accustomed to your way of behaving. Likewise, the linguistic challenge is also a major problem for administrations.

Second, as a way to fight back against these major challenges, administrations had been making innovations or a complete change of their management approaches. Charles Darwin said that the strongest and most knowledgeable individuals are the ones who are most adaptable to change. Hence, the making of the new management approaches or model is not just to survive but to fully adapt to the changes. Further, the new management model entails the supervision of resources and capabilities; they are more likely to build around capabilities, focused on creating value, networked, interdependent parts, responsive, empowered employees, intuition and analysis, and encouraging radical ideas and risk-taking. Why the modern approaches focus on employee empowerment?

It is because people are the firm's most underutilized resource. In the new knowledge economy, independent entrepreneurship and initiative are needed throughout the ranks of the organization. Involvement in an organization is no longer a one-way street. In today's corporate environment, a manager must work towards engaging the organization forcefully enough to achieve its objectives. New knowledge-based enterprises are characterized by flat hierarchical structures and a multi-skilled workforce. Managers assume more leadership and coaching tasks and work hard to provide employees with the resources and working conditions they need to accomplish the goals they've agreed to. In brief, managers work for their staff, and not the reverse.

Lastly, supervision of ethics in the workplace is a very important mission of the manager too. Jerry Anderson gave a dictionary definition of ethics, he mentioned that this is the system or code of human conduct, with an emphasis on the determination of what is right and wrong. Giving ethics programs in the workplace cultivates strong teamwork and productivity. This will rise the openness of the employees to each other and their manager. This will influence employees to perform wholeheartedly in their respective assignments. In addition, talking about corporate social responsibility is a broad term so owns no single definition.

Howard Bowen in his book titled Social Responsibility of the businessman in 1953 mentioned that CSR refers to the obligation of businessmen to follow policies, these policies were not just those business policies but the pursuant of social and public or government policies as well, and make decisions or carry out actions which are desirable in terms of objectives and values of our society. Friedman also in his Capitalism and Freedom mentioned that there is a single social responsibility of business—to increase profits as long as the attainment of this has no breach. In other words, the making of this high amount of income was being engaged in open and free competition. W. Frederick gave also a nice concept about CSR which is business corporations have the responsibility of social betterment. The very reason why business is conducted is to improve the quality of life of the general public.

Hence, the administrations’ modern management approaches, their abidance with ethical standards, and their adherence to the principles of corporate social responsibility boost them to fully adapt to the changes. Read More